You're Bleeding!
by JhsGptMS
Summary: Sam finds a way to apologize that we can all be envious of and Andy makes an admission of her own.


**I own no interest in Rookie Blue**

Have you ever considered how intimate providing health care services can be? It's hard to provide care at a distance. Health care professionals invade our personal space. As long as they remain caring but impersonal we are usually thankful they chose their career. Conversely, a simple cut can put libidos into overdrive when _the victim and the rescuer_ are already keenly aware of each other's sexuality.

Andy was thrown into her seat belt harness when Sam slammed on the brakes. Then she was pushed back into the seat when he put the cruiser in reverse and stepped on the gas pedal.

"What'd you see?" She was alert now and swinging around in her seat, as much as the belt would allow, trying to spot what had drawn his attention.

"I thought I saw movement in that alley when we passed." He was abreast of the alley now, but Andy saw no movement. Typical alley, bags of garbage and dumpsters, discarded wood from some building repair but no people.

Sam continued in reverse. When he had cleared the entrance to the alley he changed gears, pulled in, turned the ignition off and sat. "I was sure I saw something move when we passed. " He shook his head and reached for his seat belt. "Andy, let's just walk the alley and check. I don't think we're going to find anything but we're here."

They bickered later about just what had happened in the alley. Sam told Jerry that Andy had thrown the 2 x 4 at him. Andy asserted that had she thrown the board, Sam would not have gotten away with a mere scratch. She further theorized that he probably would have required hospitalization. When Sam could finally control his hoots and "yeah rights" he conceded he had probably exaggerated the viciousness of her attack but he was sure the damage to his shirt and his hide was all her fault. He concluded with, "I think she did it on purpose."

Jerry had been the only one privy to the beginning of this exchange but as the teasing escalated the crowd of onlookers grew to probably number at least 10. By the time it was all over no one knew exactly what had happened in the alley but there was no question but what Sam and Andy were in high spirits and no longer at odds with each other.

The actual events in the alley were rather non-spectacular. What ensued as a result of those events were what made this day particularly memorable.

As the partners approached the stack of discarded wood they hear a sound that could have been a cat but might have been a baby. They really weren't sure which, so they started moving the wood to make sure someone had not done something unthinkable.

The noise had been a frightened cat that was further frightened by the people moving the wood it had hidden behind. When the cat finally bolted it ran across Andy's foot, startled her, she dropped the wood in her hand as Sam was turning to check out her obvious distress.

The board hit Sam's right shoulder, left a three corner tear in the shirt's sleeve and resulted in him uttering a mild expletive.

Andy apologized. "Sorry! It startled me. Are you hurt?"

"No, but you did a number on this shirt. I suppose you're buying me a new one." He teased or at least she thought he was teasing.

"Oh sure, I'll just buy it out of my clothing allowance from my trust fund." She responded but when she looked at him she couldn't tell if maybe he had been serious so she added, "Really, I'll buy you a new one. Are you sure you aren't hurt?"

"Andy, I'm fine. My cleaners do a great job of putting my uniforms back in shape after attacks from eager women."

She laughed, "Yeah, Right. Do you want to move some more wood?"

"I think we're good"

The partners left their alley adventure behind them and returned to the car. As Andy turned to fasten her seat belt she glanced at Sam and exclaimed, "You're bleeding?"

"It's nothing, let's get back on patrol."

Her seat belt never got fastened. "It is not nothing! You have a double quarter sized wet spot on your sleeve." And she reached for his arm.

"Andy, it's nothing!"

"Men! Just be still." She had turned in her seat and was leaning in trying to get a look at his arm through the tear in the sleeve. When that strategy wasn't successful she took his hand, laid it on her knee and started unbuttoning his sleeve at the cuff. That accomplished, she began to push the sleeve up his arm.

Sam had not stopped his complaints immediately but he soon realized she was paying them no attention. He also realized that this was nothing like when his grandma had patched up his cuts. His hand was on Andy's knee and her hands were running up his arm, she was close enough he could almost feel her breath on his skin. He tried looking out the windshield and taking deep breaths but she misread the breathing and told him she wasn't hurting him and he shouldn't act like a baby. After that, he admitted defeat, turned his head back to her and decided to enjoy the experience. He had no idea it was going to become even more difficult.

Never turning his arm loose, she reached under her seat, extracted the First Aid kit and opened it on the seat between them. She took out alcohol pads, Triple A Ointment, gauze pads and tape. She closed the box and placed the supplies on top.

Twisting his arm forward so the cut was exposed and easy to clean and bandage she lifter her right arm put his hand on her side under her arm and closed her arm over his hand. She had the arm secured and was ready to clean and bandage.

Sam… he wasn't doing real well. He actually tried to pull his arm away which resulted in her tightening her grip and scolding him with, "Will you be still! I'm not going to hurt you." He settled back in his seat and tried to control his breathing, again.

Andy, apparently unaware of the side effects of her nursing, cleaned the cut, put ointment on it, then gauze pads and finally taped the pads firmly in place. She told Sam he should keep it dry when he showered and she would change the bandage before parade in the morning if he wanted.

He knew she had said something to him but he wasn't exactly sure what. He probably responded but he didn't know just what he had said. The one thing he did know was he could not look away. He had decided back at the alcohol pad part that he probably didn't want to stop the close contact and he would just try to enjoy it. There was the agony part but good stuff always came at some price.

In wrapping up her medical mission of mercy, Nurse Andy reversed her steps. She removed Sam's hand from under her arm and returned it to her knee, she put the Triple A back in the kit, closed the kit, replaced it under her seat and then began pulling his shirt sleeve back down. When she had the buttons done she patted his hand and announced, "Good as new."

She was on the verge of congratulating herself on a job well done when she looked up into Sam's eyes. In that instant she realized that she had gotten well into Sam's space, she had put his hands on her and held them there and she had put her hands on him and rubbed, patted and caressed. She wondered if her motives had been as pure as she had initially thought. Had she just been helping a friend or had she taken the opportunity to get close to him, to touch him, without guilt or commitment.

The realization began to show on her face and she had time enough to open her mouth and sigh "Oh," before Sam turned in his seat, paced his hands on either side of her face and began pulling her toward him. He tilted his head and moved forward to meet her.

The kiss was not a peck, nor a nibble, it was a passionate kiss. The kiss was not impassioned, it was not seductive, and neither was it demanding. It did not stake a claim or issue an ultimatum. The kiss was an admission that he kissed her not in response to being kissed but because he found her attractive and desirable even if she was not available. Her ready response to his kiss erased the notion that she found him an acceptable substitute but rather confirmed that in her view he was extremely desirable in his own right. The kiss was a celebration of touching and of closeness.

It was just one kiss.

As Sam pulled away, Andy registered a protest from deep in her throat. Not a word but rather a sound vocalizing a feeling of loss. Her plea was not lost on Sam but this was neither the time nor the place. He wasn't positive the time would ever be right, but he felt what he felt and now Andy knew. He had not planned this but he did not regret it had happened. He knew he had hurt her with that 'it was what it was" comment he and his jealousy had thrown at her weeks ago. Maybe today would clear up that misunderstanding.

Sam settled back in his seat for just a moment before he began fastening his seat belt. When he turned toward Andy she had not moved. She was just staring. Whether she was seeing him or just lost in her thoughts wasn't clear. Never taking his eyes off her and with the slightest of smiles he said, "Andy…. you need to fasten your seat belt before we leave."

She shook her head as though she needed the motion to clear it, responded with "OK," and began buckling up. As she settled back in her seat Sam was sure he heard her chuckle. That self satisfied chuckle she probably wasn't aware of but that Sam had heard many times in the pass when she had finally accomplished a difficult task.

A man should never need an ego booster better than that.


End file.
